MPs walk out of meeting on Brexit report because it's ‘too gloomy’

MPs walked out of a meeting today because they were presented with a Brexit document that was ‘too gloomy’, it was reported.

A number of MPs who backed Brexit left the private meeting of the Commons Brexit Select Committee in protest at the report, the BBC said.

A source told the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg that Labour chairman Hilary Benn tried to ‘bounce’ MPs into agreeing to include the 155-page report in the government’s Brexit White Paper.

But the MPs refused to accept the document because it was ‘gloomy’, the source told the BBC.

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The source claimed there had been no consultation between MPs before it was put forward to a vote.

This made a number of MPs ‘politely walk out’, it was reported.

Ms Kuenssberg tweeted: ‘hearing Brexiteers “politely” walked out of Brexit Cttee, claim Benn put forward 155 page report “so gloomy it couldn’t be allowed to stand”.’

However, Conservative MP Anna Soubry said she had no issue with the report presented by Mr Benn.

She tweeted: ‘gloomy = #BrexitReality & it doesn’t have to be like this. Membership of #singlemarket will make our prospects brighter’.

And Conservative MP Alistair Burt tweeted: ‘Rest of Committee still sitting and doing its job to consider the report’.

The Brexit White Paper sets out the government’s plans for its negotiations with the EU.

The Exiting the European Union Committee is made up of 21 MPs from all parties and Mr Benn – a Remain supporter – was elected to lead it last October.

(Picture: AP)